Amid chaos, Jharkhand House amends tribal land laws

The House was adjourned at least twice and the contentious Bill was finally introduced and passed amid vociferous opposition from the JMM, Congress and JVM (P), all of whom have united to oppose the amendments.

Tribal people raising the black flags during a protest against the ammended CNT Act in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)

Amid unruly scenes in the Assembly and massive Opposition protest outside it, the controversial tenancy law amendment Bill was passed in the Jharkhand Assembly Wednesday. A JMM MLA also hurled a shoe towards the Speaker, although it fell by the wayside.

There were also attempts by the opposition members to hurl chairs. However, the marshals rushed in and stopped them.

When contacted, the JMM’s MLA from Torpa (Khunti), Poulus Sureen, admitted that he had hurled the shoe. “I know this is not proper conduct. But what can a man desperate over seeing people’s land slipping away from their hands do? I even fought with the marshal. What the government has done today is unprecedented. They may have passed it. But the people are not going to accept it. Rivers of blood will flow in Jharkhand and all of it due to this government, which has taken money from the industrialists and is not listening to anybody.”

The House was adjourned at least twice and the contentious Bill was finally introduced and passed amid vociferous opposition from the JMM, Congress and JVM (P), all of whom have united to oppose the amendments.

Outside the Assembly, the police lobbed teargas shells and used water cannon to disperse protesters led by Opposition leaders like Babulal Marandi, leader of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), and senior Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay. Later, Opposition parties call for a Jharkhand bandh on November 25.

Meanwhile, the BJP workers celebrated the passage of the Bill at party office in the evening.